The Difficulties of Online School: Students

Introduction No one would have ever thought that a pandemic would ravage the world. Although very much possible, seeing that the Black Death killed anywhere between 75 million to 200 million people during the 14th century, few people were thinking that they would ever experience it in their lifetime. Ten months ago, not many people had heard of the coronavirus disease. Take me, for example. On November 24th, I celebrated my birthday, and Christmas songs began playing on the radio. On December 25th, children and adults around the world celebrated Christmas and gathered with their families to indulge in and celebrate yummy feasts, family cheer, love, and for some, Jesus Christ. But by March 2020, schools around the world had closed down and switched to online school. Flash forward to March 2020, the famous month for when schools closed, and parents started pulling out their hair because, suddenly, they had two jobs – one they didn’t apply for. Parents, teachers, and students all have to navigate the new times. But first, let’s talk about students. Hardships There is an extensive list of difficulties that online school entails for students, from technical problems to distractions. It can be especially hard for those with learning challenges. Nowadays, school can feel like a chore, going to Zoom class after Zoom class. It feels as if teachers spend time talking for hours, and students just want to play on their phones. They just want to sneak off onto another app while on Zoom. We all have the freedom of either playing games or paying attention. Of course, we can turn our cameras off so that no one can see us secretly playing video games. But it doesn’t have to be so hard! You may be thinking “Just missing 5 minutes isn’t going to affect me.” Sometimes, those 5 minutes could have answered a question you didn’t think they had. That’s why it’s important to take breaks in between classes and just relax or go outside. Setting aside a specified time, a decision you’ll make, will allow you to ride the wave of online school in a self-motivated way which in turn will instill better habits. Just 5 minutes a day of deep breathing exercise, or meditation, calms you down for an entire class. So, here are two rules that students can follow in order to feel great every school day. 3 Rules All Students Should School By Exercise Even just doing ten jumping jacks or running back and forth between two walls five times gives you a burst of energy and makes you feel up and ready to work! Exercise can be fun. Mr. Currey’s ASA Club, Morning Healthy Habits, gets your blood pumping before class, and encourages, well it’s all in the name, healthy habits. (email him for more details.) Do Your Work the Day it’s Assigned Sometimes, when working on assignments we procrastinate. The definition of procrastinate is to put off a task, and this is often until the day it’s due. Procrastinating is the brain’s way of regulating your bad mood. In a 2013 study, doctors Tim Pychyl and Fuschia Sirois found that procrastination can be understood as your brain saying short-term mood repair is more urgent than getting on with the task at hand. Procrastination isn’t about laziness, it’s about your mood! Which leads into my next rule… Take a Break from the Screen How can you prevent procrastination? Do something that ups your mood, something you love. Only one condition; it has to be non-electronic. I know it’s a challenge, but remember, you’re in charge of finishing your work on time. So if you play a sport, go outside and breath some fresh air instead of gaming. In conclusion, students can take charge and start feeling better about online school by doing things they love and taking breaks. Try it!